Home-cooked food is something students miss most in college. The first day we discussed the assignment, everyone in my ENGL 1100 freshman composition course in Fall 2007 seemed to enjoy telling the class about their favorite food and their memories of family gatherings where they usually eat the food(s) they described.

The discussion made the taste buds of my 8 a.m. students wake up and the stomachs of my noon students growl. The first set of recipes consisted mostly of seafood/meats and desserts, but students in my Spring, 1st Summer Session, and Fall (pages under construction) 2008 courses helped balance the diet.

Following individual narrative and informative (news) writing assignments, the students' contributions to this project gave them an opportunity to see how two different styles--how-to and narrative--can complement each other in an interesting and useful way.

With the recipe, students must understand the importance of specificity in procedural writing, and writing the narrative about the recipe is an opportunity to relax and tell an interesting story that briefly explores the familial significance of their chosen food.

How the food actually looks is as important as knowing how to make it and being able to relate the story behind it. So, the photos add color and show how the students and/or their families present the food.

And it's certainly a fun assignment to grade.

Enjoy!

Leanne E. Smith, editor
[email protected]
E. H. Smith, associate editor